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SPORTS NETWORK

Jun 6, 2011

, Last Updated: 3:55 PM ET

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR announced on Monday that team owner Richard Childress received a $150,000 fine and placed on probation for the remainder of the year following his physical altercation with driver Kyle Busch last Saturday at Kansas Speedway.

Childress' probation includes all NASCAR-sanctioned events.

The altercation between Busch and Childress occurred in the garage area shortly after the 250-mile Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas, with Childress allegedly punching Busch several times.

Busch and Richard Childress Racing driver Joey Coulter had a fierce battle for position during the final laps of the truck race. Coulter, a rookie in the series this year, passed Busch on the last lap to finish fifth, while Busch, who is also a truck team owner, settled for sixth.

When the race concluded, Busch hit the side of Coulter's truck on the cool-down lap, which triggered the incident between Busch and Childress later on.

In its news release of the penalty, NASCAR stated, "The penalty we have announced today for Richard Childress reflects NASCAR's response to the incident at Kansas Speedway on Saturday. We feel this action is appropriate and are confident all parties involved understand our position on this matter and will move forward appropriately."

NASCAR met with Busch and Childress hours before the start of Sunday's 400- mile Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas to discuss the altercation.

The sanctioning body allowed Childress, 65, to remain for the Sprint Cup race, but restricted him from certain areas at the racetrack.

Childress released a statement shortly after his penalty was issued.

"First of all, I'm responsible for my actions, plain and simple," he noted. "As you know, I am a very principled person and have a passion for what we do at Richard Childress Racing. I believe passionately in defending my race teams and my sponsor partners. In this instance, I let that passion and my emotions get the best of me.

"I accept the penalty NASCAR announced today and, as a company, we will now focus on this week's races at Pocono Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway."

Busch, 26, is currently on probation for all NASCAR events due to an altercation he had with Kevin Harvick in the May 7 Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway. NASCAR fined Busch and Harvick, who drives for Childress in the series, $25,000 each and placed both of them on probation until June 15.

NASCAR determined on Sunday that Busch's involvement in the incident at Kansas did not violate his probation and no further action would be required.